Why in the World Are NJ Taxpayers Funding 'Jersey Shore'?

Like most states these days, New Jersey is pretty much broke. So it surprised us to learn that the state — which comes off pretty poorly on Jersey Shore — is actually funding the show. The Associated Press reports that the state’s Economic Development Association decided yesterday to allocate $420,000 of taxpayer money to help cover the reality series’s production costs. Although some Jersey politicians are angry that their constituents will be underwriting “fake tanning” and Governor Chris Christie’s spokesperson is griping about the show’s “New Yorker cast,” the decision supposedly makes economic sense to the mayor of Seaside Heights, who says that local businesses benefit from having Snooki and co. in town for filming. So, here’s what doesn’t add up: We understand that the funding is supposed to serve as an enticement for Jersey Shore to stay in the state. But the who point of the show is that it’s about people who hang out at the Jersey Shore. Even if they do take off for Miami or Italy when it’s too cold to party in Jersey, it’s not like MTV is going to pick up and move the cast to Myrtle Beach permanently. [via TV Squad]